Vehicle lighting with road surface drawing function

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting tool having a road surface drawing function which has both a function of a head lamp or a marker lamp and a road surface drawing function, and has a simple structure.SOLUTION: The vehicular lighting tool having a road surface drawing function in addition to a function of a head lamp and a marker lamp includes: an optical unit having one light source and playing a function of a head lamp or a marker lamp, forming a part of emitted light of the light source into predetermined light distribution and emitting the emitted light; and a road surface drawing unit forming a road surface drawing function which forms other part of the emitted light of the light source into a drawing pattern relating to an irradiation purpose of the optical unit and projects the emitted light onto a road surface. The one light source is used as a common light source of the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit, and the lighting tool has a simple structure, and has a high function effect by purpose-related irradiation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly to a vehicle lamp having a road marking function in addition to a headlamp or marker lamp function. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle lamp having an optical unit that functions as a headlight or a marker light, there is a type in which a drawing unit that projects a desired drawing pattern onto a road surface is also mounted together with the optical unit (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-37260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vehicle lamp of Patent Document 1, both the optical unit that functions as a headlight or signal light and the drawing unit that projects a desired drawing pattern onto the road surface are mounted in the same lamp chamber, resulting in a large housing and a complex control system.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and provides a vehicle lamp having a simple configuration and a road surface drawing function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function in addition to the function as a headlight or a marker light is configured to include an optical unit that functions as a headlight or a marker light and a road surface drawing unit that uses a common light source and projects a drawing pattern onto the road surface, and the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit are configured to perform irradiation with related irradiation purposes. According to this aspect, since the light source is common, the overall size can be reduced. Furthermore, since the emission contents are related, the functional effect can be enhanced by a synergistic effect.

[0007] In one embodiment, the optical unit forms a part of the light emitted from the light source into a predetermined light distribution pattern and projects it, and the road surface drawing unit forms another part of the light emitted from the light source into a drawing pattern related to the irradiation purpose of the optical unit and projects it onto the road surface. According to this embodiment, the light emitted from one light source is shared, so the timing of turning on and off the light distribution and the drawing pattern is linked. No complex control mechanism is required, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0008] In one embodiment, the road surface drawing unit includes a lens that forms a predetermined drawing pattern from incident light and emits the formed pattern. Since the drawing pattern can be irradiated simply by irradiating light, no control circuit is required, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0009] In one embodiment, the light source used in common by the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, and the arrangement of the plurality of light-emitting elements is determined by the shape of the drawing pattern projected by the road surface drawing unit. Required characteristics differ depending on the shape of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface. By matching the arrangement of the light-emitting elements to the required characteristics, it is possible to make the outer diameter of the drawing pattern clearer and reduce unevenness in light and dark by keeping the overall brightness of the drawing pattern constant.

[0010] In one embodiment, the relative position of the optical unit to the road drawing unit is determined according to the height and angle at which the light source is disposed. The position of the road drawing unit is determined first, and then the position of the optical unit is determined according to how the remaining light distribution is used. This allows a drawing pattern that has a clearer outline and is brighter to be projected onto the road surface. Effect of the Invention

[0011] As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a vehicle lamp having a simple configuration and a road surface drawing function can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment, in which Fig. 1A is a plan view and Fig. 1B is a side view. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the configuration of the vehicle lamp, in which Fig. 2(A) is a side view and Fig. 2(B) is a plan view. In order to show the internal configuration, the housing is indicated by dotted lines. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp, and is an explanatory diagram mainly showing the optical path of light emitted from a light source. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining the configuration of a lens. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment, in which Fig. 5A is a rear perspective view, Fig. 5B is a plan view, and Fig. 5C is a side view. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a perspective view of the vehicle lamp, and FIG. 6(B) is a side view. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lamp. [Figure 8] The lamp cover is shown in Fig. 8(A) mainly showing the outer surface side which becomes the light exit surface, and Fig. 8(B) mainly showing the inner surface side which becomes the light entrance surface. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp, and is an explanatory diagram mainly showing the optical path of light emitted from a light source. [Figure 10] This is a modified example. [Figure 11] This is a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. In each drawing, the vehicle and the vehicle headlights are described as being in the following directions (upper: lower: left: right: front: rear = Up: Lo: Le: Ri: Fr: Re) based on the driver's viewpoint inside the vehicle.

[0014] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a vehicle C equipped with a vehicle lamp 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 1 is a front turn signal lamp that is attached to the front of the vehicle C and functions as a marker lamp when the traveling direction of the vehicle C changes to the left or right. The vehicle lamps 1 are provided in a pair on the left and right, and are configured symmetrically to each other. The following description focuses on the vehicle lamp 1 attached to the right.

[0015] When the vehicle C moves to the right, the vehicle lamp 1 forms amber diffused light as the light distribution LD1 of the turn signal lamp toward the front of the vehicle C and blinks it to inform the drivers of oncoming vehicles and drivers of vehicles along the path of the vehicle C that the vehicle C is moving to the right. At the same time, the vehicle lamp 1 projects a drawing pattern M1 of three substantially inverted V shapes onto the road surface GR on the right ahead. The drawing pattern M1 is turned on and off at a predetermined cycle, and the timing of this turning on and off is the same as the timing of the blinking light distribution LD1. The drawing pattern M1 allows pedestrians and others along the path of the vehicle C to recognize the path of the vehicle C and to pay attention to it.

[0016] In this way, the vehicle lamp 1 has a road surface drawing function in addition to the conventional function of a marker lamp, and the two illuminations have related purposes. The vehicle lamp 1 turns on and off the light distribution LD1 as diffused light from the right of the vehicle C forward, and further projects a drawing pattern M1 toward the road surface in the direction of travel. Both of these illuminations have the same purpose of "informing those around that the vehicle C is moving to the right and calling their attention," and the vehicle lamp 1 enhances the functional effect by illuminating the two functions in a related manner.

[0017] The configuration of the present disclosure is not limited to front turn signal lamps, but can also be used as headlights such as high beam lamps, low beam lamps, fog lamps, etc., and as marker lamps such as tail lamps, stop lamps, daytime running lamps, clearance lamps, side turn signal lamps, and automatic driving indicator lamps.

[0018] In addition, while headlights such as high beam lamps and low beam lamps have a set light distribution over a specified distance, marker lamps only have a set range of maximum luminous intensity and left and right irradiation angles. Regardless of whether it is a headlight or a marker lamp, the form of light that is irradiated so as to satisfy the regulations set for each vehicle lamp will be described as light distribution.

[0019] (Configuration of vehicle lamp 1) Next, the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1 will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1. Fig. 2(A) is a side view, and Fig. 2(B) is a plan view. The housing is shown by dotted lines to show the internal configuration. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the optical path of light emitted from the light source.

[0020] 1, the vehicle lamp 1 includes a lamp body 40 having an opening at the front, and a lamp cover 50 made of a light-transmitting resin, glass, or the like, which is attached to the opening of the lamp body 40. The lamp body 40 and the lamp cover 50 form the housing of the vehicle lamp 1, and a lamp chamber S is formed inside the lamp body 40 and the lamp cover 50.

[0021] Arranged within the lamp chamber S are mainly a lens 10, a step reflector 20, and a light source 30 with a light emitting element attached to a board. The lens 10 is fixed to a lamp body 40 by a pair of legs 15 extending from the side surface toward the rear surface. The step reflector 20 and the light source 30 are also fixed to the lamp body 40 by fixing members (not shown).

[0022] The step reflector 20 is a step-shaped reflector divided into a plurality of reflective elements. The inner surface is a reflective surface that reflects light, and is configured to reflect incident light and irradiate it forward with a predetermined light distribution.

[0023] The lens 10 is an optical member that receives light from an incident surface and emits light from an exit surface. In this embodiment, the lens 10 is a drawing lens having a free-form exit surface that converts the incident light into a desired drawing pattern. The detailed shape of the lens 10 will be described later.

[0024] The light source 30 may be a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an LD (Laser Diode), or an EL (Electro Luminescence) element, or a light bulb, an incandescent lamp (halogen lamp), a discharge lamp, etc. In this embodiment, an LED that emits amber light is used as the light emitting element.

[0025] The vehicle lamp 1 includes an optical unit that functions as a marker lamp (turn signal lamp) and a road drawing unit that functions to project a drawing pattern onto the road surface.

[0026] The road surface drawing unit is mainly composed of a light source 30 and a lens 10. Light L1, which is a part of the light emitted from the light source 30, is incident on the lens 10, and a drawing pattern M1 is formed with the emitted light and projected onto the road surface GR.

[0027] The optical unit is mainly composed of a light source 30 and a step reflector 20. Another part of the light emitted by the light source 30 is reflected by the step reflector 20 as light L2, and the reflected light forms a light distribution LD1 of the turn signal lamp.

[0028] That is, both units share the light source 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the optical axis A1 of the light source 30 is directed forward and to the right, and is inclined slightly downward from the horizontal. The lens 10 is disposed on this optical axis A1. The light of the light source 30 mainly enters the lens 10 as light L1, and the rest enters the step reflector 20 as light L2. Although the step reflector 20 is not disposed on the optical axis A1 of the light source 30, the light distribution LD1 formed by the light emitted from the step reflector 20 is configured to satisfy the legal requirements for the light distribution required for a turn signal lamp (maximum luminous intensity, maximum angle to the left and right, etc.).

[0029] In this embodiment, the lamp cover 50 is a clear lens, and the emitted light of each unit is directly irradiated to the front of the vehicle C through the lamp cover 50. The emitted light from the optical unit may be diffused by using a light diffusion lens such as a cylindrical lens in the lamp cover 50. In this case, it is preferable that the part through which the emitted light from the road surface drawing unit passes is a clear lens. In addition, the step reflector 20 and the lens 10 are arranged with a shift in the left-right direction, and the light emitted to the right from the light source 30 also enters the step reflector 20 (see FIG. 2(B)). Note that a part of the light L2 passes to the right of the lens 10, and in FIG. 3, the light L2a passes to the right of the lens 10 (toward the viewer on the paper) and does not pass through the lens 10.

[0030] (lens) The lens 10 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side view conceptually showing the light source 30 and the lens 10. The right diagram in Fig. 4 is a front view of the lens 10 as viewed from the light exit surface.

[0031] 4, the lens 10 is disposed at a slight downward inclination with respect to the horizontal plane. The light source 30 is disposed approximately at the focal point of the lens 10, and light mainly traveling diagonally downward forward (in the optical axis direction) from the light source 30 enters the lens 10 as light L1.

[0032] The lens 10 has an incident surface 11 on which the light L1 is incident and an exit surface 12 from which the light L1 exits. In this embodiment, the incident surface 11 has a generally flat shape. On the other hand, the exit surface 12 has a shape that is convex in the direction in which the light exits.

[0033] The exit surface 12 of the lens 10 is formed by connecting three curved surfaces having different curvatures, and is divided into a first region 12a consisting of a curved surface located at the bottom, a second region 12b consisting of a curved surface located in the center and most protruding, and a third region 12c consisting of a curved surface located at the top. That is, the first region 12a and the second region 12b are divided by a line of intersection CL1 where the curved surfaces having different curvatures intersect, and the second region 12b and the third region 12c are divided by a line of intersection CL2 where the curved surfaces having different curvatures intersect.

[0034] The intersection lines CL1 and CL2 have loci that are convex upward and have a generally inverted V shape. Due to the intersection lines CL1 and CL2, the regions 12a, 12b, and 12c all have a generally inverted V shape in a front view.

[0035] When light is emitted from the light source 30, a part of the emitted light propagates obliquely downward and forward, and is incident on the entrance surface 11 of the drawing lens as light L1. Then, the component located at the lower side of the light L1 passes through a substantially lower part of the lens 10 and is emitted obliquely downward and forward from the first region 12a. In this embodiment, the shape of the first region 12a is a shape that refracts the light emitted from the region 12a so that the light has a substantially same shape as the region 12a. As described above, the first region 12a has a substantially inverted V shape. Therefore, the light L1 component emitted from the first region 12a is shaped based on the substantially inverted V shape of the first region 12a, and becomes light L1a having a substantially inverted V shape.

[0036] Furthermore, a centrally located component of the light L1 passes through a roughly central portion of the lens 10 and is emitted from the second region 12b obliquely downward and forward. In this embodiment, the shape of the second region 12b is such that the light emitted from the region 12b is refracted so that the light has roughly the same shape as the shape of the region 12b. As described above, the second region 12b has a roughly inverted V shape. Therefore, the light L1 component emitted from the second region 12b is shaped based on the roughly inverted V shape of the second region 12b, and becomes light L1b having a roughly inverted V shape.

[0037] Moreover, the component of the light L1 located at the upper part passes through a generally upper part of the lens 10 and is emitted from the third region 12c obliquely downward and forward. In this embodiment, the shape of the third region 12c is a shape that refracts the light emitted from the region 12c so that the light has a shape generally the same as the shape of the region 12c. As described above, the third region 12c has a generally inverted V shape. Therefore, the light L1 component emitted from the third region 12c is shaped based on the generally inverted V shape of the third region 12c, and becomes light L1c having a generally inverted V shape.

[0038] In this way, as a result of emitting the lights L1a, L1b, and L1c, a drawing pattern M1 is drawn on the road surface GR at a predetermined distance ahead. This drawing pattern M1 includes a mark M1a projected onto the road surface GR by the light L1a, a mark M1b projected onto the road surface GR by the light L1b, and a mark M1c projected onto the road surface GR by the light L1c. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined distance may be, for example, a distance of 1 m or more and 5 m or less from the vehicle C.

[0039] The marks M1a, M1b, and M1c will be described below.

[0040] As described above, the first region 12a and the second region 12b are separated by the intersection line CL1 where curved surfaces having different curvatures intersect. Therefore, the direction in which the light L1a emitted from the first region 12a, which is the region below the intersection line CL1, is refracted is different from the direction in which the light L1b emitted from the second region 12b, which is the region above the intersection line CL1, is refracted. In this embodiment, the curved surface forming the first region 12a and the curved surface forming the second region 12b are formed in a shape in which the light L1a and the light L1b propagate individually obliquely downward forward. More specifically, the curved surface of the first region 12a is formed so that the light L1a reaches the first position GRa of the road surface GR that is closest to the vehicle C. The curved surface of the second region 12b is formed so that the light L1b reaches the second position GRb that is located in front of the first position GRa and away from the first position GRa. Therefore, the mark M1a drawn on the road surface GR by the light L1a and the mark M1b drawn on the road surface GR by the light L1b are projected onto the road surface GR separately from each other.

[0041] As described above, the second region 12b and the third region 12c are separated by the intersection line CL2 where the curved surfaces having different curvatures intersect. Therefore, the direction in which the light L1b emitted from the second region 12b, which is the region below the intersection line CL2, is refracted is different from the direction in which the light L1c emitted from the third region 12c, which is the region above the intersection line CL2, is refracted. In this embodiment, the curved surface forming the second region 12b and the curved surface forming the third region 12c are formed in a shape in which the light L1b and the light L1c propagate individually diagonally downward forward. More specifically, the curved surface of the third region 12c is formed so that the light L1c reaches the third position GRc, which is located in front of the second position GRb and away from the second position GRb. Therefore, the mark M1b drawn on the road surface GR by the light L1b and the mark M1c drawn on the road surface GR by the light L1c are projected onto the road surface GR separately from each other.

[0042] In this way, the light beams L1a, L1b, and L1c shaped into a substantially inverted V shape propagate diagonally downward and forward, and reach the road surface GR at a distance from each other. As a result, the drawing pattern M1 projected onto the road surface GR is a mark M1a shaped like a substantially inverted V, formed by projecting the light beam L1a at a first position GRa, a mark M1b shaped like a substantially inverted V, formed by projecting the light beam L1b at a second position GRb, and a mark M1c shaped like a substantially inverted V, formed by projecting the light beam L1c at a third position GRc, which are arranged in the traveling direction at a distance from each other (see FIG. 1).

[0043] In this way, since the drawing pattern M1 shows characters with approximately inverted V-shaped marks M1a, M1b, and M1c lined up in the direction of travel, a viewer of the drawing pattern M1 will recall that the vehicle C is scheduled to travel in the direction indicated by the approximately inverted V shape.

[0044] In order to form the drawing pattern M1 in which three such generally inverted V-shaped marks M1a, M1b, and M1c are connected, it is preferable that the ratio of the above-mentioned first region 12a, second region 12b, and third region 12c in a front view is 1:1:1, for example. In addition, it is preferable that the shape of the exit surface 12 on which such drawing pattern M1 is formed is a shape based on a generally spherical surface.

[0045] In this embodiment, the lens 10 mounted on the right vehicle lamp 1 has an optical axis A1 directed slightly forward and to the right (see Figs. 2 and 3). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, the approximately inverted V-shaped marks M1a, M1b, and M1c are projected on the road surface GR in a row spaced apart from each other in the illumination direction, with the illumination direction being toward the right of the road. A viewer who sees this will imagine that the vehicle C is changing its traveling direction to the right of the vehicle.

[0046] (Action and effect) In the vehicle lamp 1 configured as described above, the light emitted from the common light source 30 is formed as the light distribution LD1 of the turn signal lamp and is irradiated in front of the vehicle, and is also projected onto the road surface GR as a drawing pattern M1. Since the illumination is performed with the illumination purpose related to each other, the synergistic effect of the two provides high functional effects.

[0047] As an optical unit, the light emitted from the light source 30 is reflected by the step reflector 20 to form a predetermined light distribution LD1 and is emitted, and as a drawing unit, the light emitted from the light source 30 is incident on the lens 10 to form a predetermined drawing pattern M1 and project it onto the road surface. Both units are turned on and off by turning on and off the common light source 30, and the light distribution LD1 and the drawing pattern M1 are naturally linked. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 1 does not require complicated control either as an optical unit or as a road surface drawing unit. The configuration is simple, and the size of the vehicle lamp can be reduced.

[0048] Second embodiment A second embodiment will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. Fig. 5 shows a vehicle C equipped with a vehicle lamp 101 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 5(A) is a rear perspective view, Fig. 5(B) is a plan view, and Fig. 5(C) is a side view.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle lamp 101 according to the second embodiment is a backup lamp attached to the upper part of the rear of a large vehicle C. When the vehicle C moves backward, the vehicle lamp 101 forms a light distribution LD2 of the backup lamp and blinks it to inform the driver of the vehicle behind and pedestrians of the backward movement of the vehicle C. At the same time, a rectangular drawing pattern M2 that extends long backward is formed. The vehicle lamp 101 is configured as a pair on the left and right, and is attached to the left and right side edges of the rear of the vehicle. Since each vehicle lamp 101 projects a rectangular drawing pattern M1 backward, two parallel lines of light extending backward from the vehicle C are projected as the trajectory of the vehicle C moving backward. This notifies pedestrians and light vehicles that may be present in the rear vicinity, which is the blind spot of the vehicle C, of ​​the vehicle's backward movement, and encourages them to be careful and move.

[0050] The vehicular lamp 101 has a high illumination effect because it simultaneously flashes the drawing pattern M2 and the light distribution LD2 to illuminate with the same purpose of "informing the driver that the vehicle is backing up."

[0051] (Configuration of vehicle lamp 101) Next, the configuration of the vehicle lamp 101 will be described. Fig. 6 shows the vehicle lamp 101, with Fig. 6(A) being a perspective view and Fig. 6(B) being a side view. The lamp cover is indicated by a dotted line to show the internal configuration. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lamp 101. As this is a backup lamp, the direction of light irradiation is opposite to that of the first embodiment. For this reason, in the description of the lamp of this embodiment, the rear side will be referred to as the front side and the front side as the back side. The backup lamp irradiates light to the front side.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the vehicle lamp 101 includes a lamp body 140, a lamp cover 150, a lens 110, a fixing member 160, and a light source .

[0053] The lamp cover 150 is a housing made of translucent resin, glass, or the like, and has one open side. A planar lamp body 140 is attached to the opening of the lamp cover 150, and a lamp chamber S is formed inside. The light source 130 and the lens 110 are disposed inside the lamp chamber S. Since the translucent lamp cover 150 is the main part of the housing, the light diffusion angle of the vehicle lamp 101 can be increased, and the visible range of the irradiated light can be made wider.

[0054] The lens 110 is a drawing lens that forms an incident light into a predetermined drawing pattern, similar to the lens 10 of the first embodiment. The lens 110 of this embodiment forms the incident light into a rectangular drawing pattern that is long in the emission direction.

[0055] The light source 130 emits light from an LED, which is a mounted light-emitting element, similarly to the light source 30 of the first embodiment. The emitted light is white light within a range determined as backup lamp light, and a part of the emitted light is incident on the lens 110 to form the drawing pattern M2, so that the projected drawing pattern M2 is composed of white light.

[0056] A rectangular hole 141 is provided in the center of the lamp body 140, and a fixing member 160 engages with it from the back side (the front side in this embodiment).

[0057] The fixing member 160 is a mounting member for the light source 130 and the lens 110, and includes a base 161 with an upper portion inclined toward the front side (rearward in this embodiment). The inclined surface on the front side of the base 161 is a mounting surface 162, and the light source 130 is mounted in the center of the mounting surface 162. The lens 110 is fixed to the mounting surface 162 by legs 115 extending from its side surface to its rear side, sandwiching the light source 130. The rear side of the fixing member 160 is a heat sink 163, which dissipates heat generated by the light source 130 to the outside. For this reason, the fixing member 160 is made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity.

[0058] When the fixing member 160 is fixed to the lamp body 140, the fixing member 160 to which the lens 110 and the light source 130 are attached approaches the lamp body 140 from the back side, and the protruding lens 110 and the upper part of the inclined base part 161 enter the lamp chamber S through the hole 141. Then, with the lens 110 fixed to the mounting surface 162 placed inside the lamp chamber S, the fixing member 160 is fixed to the back side of the lamp body 140 by the flange part 164 provided around the outer circumferential surface.

[0059] The lamp cover 150 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8(A) mainly shows the outer surface side which becomes the light exit surface, and Fig. 8(B) mainly shows the inner surface side which becomes the light entrance surface.

[0060] The lamp cover 150 is an optical component formed in a box shape with the inner surface as the incident surface and the outer surface as the exit surface. Light emitted from the light source 130 arranged in the lamp chamber S enters from the inner incident surface, and light based on the characteristics of each component surface exits from the outer exit surface.

[0061] 8, lamp cover 150 has first surface 151, second surface 152, and third surface 153 with different characteristics on the front side, which is the main irradiation direction of the emitted light from light source 130. The outer surface sides of first surface 151, second surface 152, and third surface 153, which serve as emission surfaces, are all formed in a flat shape, and the shapes of the inner surfaces, which serve as incidence surfaces, differ for each surface.

[0062] The first surface 151 constitutes an upper region at the center of the surface of the lamp cover 150. The incident surface 151a of the first surface 151 has a form in which small convex surfaces are arranged in a matrix. Light incident on the first surface 151 thus constituted is emitted from the exit surface while being diffused in all directions.

[0063] Second surface 152 is located below first surface 151. While first surface 151 and third surface 153 are vertical surfaces, second surface 152 is an inclined surface with the lower portion inclined toward the back surface. Incident surface 152a of second surface 152 is flat. Light incident on second surface 152 configured in this manner exits from the exit surface in the same form as when it entered.

[0064] The third surfaces 153 are disposed on the left and right of the first surface 151 and the second surface 152, and constitute the side regions of the front surface of the lamp cover 150. The third surface 153 extends vertically in the vertical direction, and in the horizontal direction, the side edge side is inclined toward the back surface side with respect to the first surface 151. That is, the third surface 153 disposed on the right side faces slightly to the right, and the third surface 153 disposed on the left side faces slightly to the left. The entrance surface 153a of the third surface 153 has a V-shaped groove extending vertically. The light incident on the third surface 153 configured in this manner is diffused to the left and right and exits from the exit surface.

[0065] The following describes the path of the light emitted from the light source 130. FIG. 9 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view for explaining the optical path of the light emitted from the light source 130.

[0066] 9, because base 161 is inclined from the vertical toward the front surface, attached lens 110 and light source 130 are also inclined from the vertical toward the front surface. That is, optical axis A2 of light source 130 is inclined downward from the horizontal, and lens 110 and second surface 152 of lamp cover 150 are disposed on this inclined optical axis A2. For this reason, light emitted from light source 130 mainly enters lens 110 as light L3, and other light other than light L3, mainly light emitted upward, enters first surface 151 of lamp cover 150 as light L4.

[0067] As in the first embodiment, the vehicle lamp 101 includes an optical unit that functions as a marker lamp (back-up lamp) and a road drawing unit that functions to project a drawing pattern onto the road surface.

[0068] The road surface drawing unit is mainly composed of a light source 130 and a lens 110. Light L3, which is a part of the light emitted from the light source 130, enters the lens 110, exits the lens 110 and passes through the second surface 152. The second surface 152 is a lens with flat surfaces on both sides, which allows the incident light to pass through directly, so that the light L3 is formed into a rectangle by the lens 110 and is irradiated onto the road surface GR as a drawing pattern M2.

[0069] The optical unit is composed of the light source 130 and the lamp cover 150. In the lamp cover 150, the first surface 151 and the third surface 153 are particularly used as the optical unit. Of the light emitted from the light source 130, a part other than the light L3, particularly the light emitted above the optical axis A2, enters the lamp cover 150 as L4, is diffused and emitted, and mainly constitutes the light distribution LD2 of the backup lamp. In addition, the light emitted in the left and right directions from the light source 130, not shown in FIG. 9, enters the third surface 153, is diffused and emitted to the left and right, and constitutes a part of the light distribution LD2. The light distribution LD2 is formed by the light emitted from the surfaces other than the second surface 152.

[0070] In this manner, similar to the first embodiment, the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit share the light source 130. Light from the light source 130 is mainly incident on the lens 110 as light L3 and is irradiated onto the road surface GR via the second surface 152 as a drawing pattern M2, and light other than the light L3 is incident on the lamp cover 150 as light L4 and is emitted as a light distribution LD2. Here, the light distribution LD2 formed by the lamp cover 150 is configured to satisfy the legal requirements (maximum luminous intensity, maximum left and right angles, etc.) for the light distribution required for a backup lamp.

[0071] In this embodiment, light diffusion lenses are mainly used on the first surface 151 and the third surface 153 of the lamp cover 150 as components of the optical unit, but light diffusion lenses may also be used on all of the constituent surfaces of the lamp cover 150 except for the second surface 152 located on the optical axis A2, i.e., on surface 154, which is the peripheral side surface adjacent to the first surface 151, the second surface 152, and the third surface 153, to expand the irradiation range of the light distribution LD2.

[0072] In this way, the optical unit may have other conventionally known configurations. For example, a reflective or direct-type lamp unit using a reflector may be used, with part of the light emitted from the light source being used for drawing a pattern and the remaining light being used for forming a light distribution, thereby providing a vehicle lamp with a simple configuration and high functionality.

[0073] (Arrangement of optical unit and imaging unit) Here, the relative arrangement of the optical unit and the imaging unit will be described.

[0074] In the vehicle lamp 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the optical axis A1 of the light source 30 faces downward, and the inclination angle from the horizontal plane is angle α1. In this embodiment, the angle α1 is relatively small, angle α1 = about 20 degrees. In the vehicle lamp 1, the step reflector 20 that forms the light distribution LD1 is disposed below the lens 10.

[0075] 8, in the vehicle lamp 101 of the second embodiment, the optical axis A2 of the light source 130 faces downward, and the inclination angle from the horizontal plane is angle α2. The angle α2 is larger than the angle α1, and in this embodiment, the angle α2 is more than 30 degrees. In the vehicle lamp 101, the second surface 152 of the lamp cover 150, which mainly forms the light distribution LD2, is located above the lens 110.

[0076] When the arrangement of the light source (particularly the mounting height) is the same, if the downward angle of the optical axis is large, the drawing pattern is projected closer to the vehicle, and if the inclination angle of the optical axis is small, the drawing pattern drawn on the road surface is projected farther from the vehicle. When the inclination angle of the optical axis is the same, the higher the mounting height at which the vehicle lamp is mounted, the longer the projection distance and the drawing pattern is projected farther from the vehicle, and the lower the mounting height, the shorter the projection distance and the drawing pattern is projected closer to the vehicle.

[0077] The drawing pattern projected onto the road surface is desirably of high luminosity to clarify its shape. For this reason, the optical member that forms the drawing pattern is placed on the optical axis, and the light with high luminosity emitted from the front of the light source is mainly used to form the drawing pattern, and the other light is formed as the light distribution.

[0078] The vehicle lamp 1, which is a front turn signal lamp, is attached relatively low near the bumper, and if the angle α1 is made large, the drawing pattern M1 drawn on the road surface GR will only be in the vicinity of the vehicle C, and will not attract much attention from the surroundings. The angle α1 is made relatively small in order to project the drawing pattern M1 at a certain distance from the vehicle. Since the inclination angle of the optical axis A1 of the light source 30 from the horizontal plane is small, the lens 10 that forms the drawing pattern M1 is disposed close to the horizontal plane, and the step reflector 20 is disposed relatively below the lens 10. For this reason, the step reflector 20 forms the light distribution LD1 mainly using light emitted below the optical axis A1.

[0079] On the other hand, the vehicle lamp 101, which is a backup lamp, is attached to the upper part of a large vehicle C, and therefore is attached at a relatively high position. By making the inclination angle α2 of the optical axis A2 of the light source 130 from the horizontal plane relatively large, a rectangular drawing pattern M2 that extends long from near the vehicle to far away is projected. Because the inclination angle of the optical axis A2 of the light source 130 from the horizontal plane is large, the lens 110 that forms the drawing pattern M2 is disposed below and away from the horizontal plane, and the second surface 152 that mainly forms the light distribution LD2 is disposed relatively above the lens 110. Therefore, the second surface 152 forms the light distribution LD2 mainly using light emitted above the optical axis A2.

[0080] That is, when the vehicle lamp is attached to the vehicle at a relatively high height, it is preferable that the drawing unit is disposed above the optical unit, and when the vehicle lamp is attached to the vehicle at a relatively low height, it is preferable that the drawing unit is disposed below the optical unit. More specifically, when the shared light source is attached to the vehicle at a relatively high height, it is preferable that the optical member that forms the drawing pattern provided in the drawing unit is disposed below the optical member that forms and irradiates the light distribution provided in the optical unit. When the vehicle lamp is attached to the vehicle at a relatively low height, the preferable arrangement is the opposite. This allows a clear and bright drawing pattern to be drawn on the road surface, and the light distribution can be formed by effectively utilizing the remaining light emitted from the light source. In addition, the overall size can be reduced by appropriately arranging each unit.

[0081] Furthermore, the placement of the imaging unit and the optical unit is determined taking into consideration not only the mounting height but also the tilt angle. For example, when the imaging pattern is to be projected relatively far away, the tilt angle is set small. In this case, the imaging unit is placed above and the optical unit is placed below. Furthermore, when the imaging pattern is to be projected in the left-right direction, the imaging unit may be placed to the left or right of the optical unit.

[0082] Because the drawing unit and the optical unit use a common light source, the arrangement of the light source is most important, then the arrangement of the optical members of the drawing unit that form the drawing pattern is determined, and finally the arrangement of the optical light source of the drawing unit that forms the light distribution is determined. In this way, when the relative arrangement of the optical unit with the road surface drawing unit is determined according to the height at which the light source is disposed and the inclination angle of the optical axis, an optimal arrangement can be achieved overall, and each irradiation can be made appropriate.

[0083] (Modification) Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration. Modifications are shown in Figs.

[0084] 10 shows a modified example of the light source 130. In order to improve brightness, the light sources 130A and 130B each use three light-emitting elements 131. In the light source 130A, the three light-emitting elements 131 are arranged side by side horizontally, while in the light source 130B, the three light-emitting elements 131 are arranged side by side vertically.

[0085] When multiple light emitting elements 131 are arranged side by side, the width of the light source image is increased, which is suitable for a wide drawing pattern. In particular, by appropriately selecting the projection distance, the outline of the drawing pattern can be made clear and unevenness in the overall brightness of the drawing pattern can be suppressed. That is, the light source 130A is suitable for the first embodiment. By using the light source 131A in the vehicle lamp 1, the brightness of the three marks M1a, M1b, and M1c can be kept equal, and the outline of the approximately inverted V shape can be made clear.

[0086] When multiple light emitting elements 131 are arranged vertically, blurring of the outline of the drawing pattern in the width direction can be suppressed, and the drawing pattern can be extended and irradiated far away. That is, the light source 130B is suitable for the second embodiment. By using the light source 131B in the vehicle lamp 101, a vertically long linear drawing pattern M2 with a clear outline can be projected.

[0087] By arranging the light emitting elements in this way in accordance with the shape of the drawing pattern to be projected, it is possible to improve the brightness and clarity of the drawing pattern.

[0088] FIG. 11 shows a modified example of the road drawing unit of the vehicle lamp 101.

[0089] 11(A), the road surface drawing unit is mainly composed of a light source 130, a condenser lens 116, a shade 117, and a projection lens 118. The condenser lens 116 is a collimator lens, and outputs the light emitted from the light source 130 to the shade 117 as parallel light. The shade 117 has a slit 117a in the shape of a desired drawing pattern, and the light L3' that passes through the slit is projected by the projection lens 118 onto the road surface as the desired drawing pattern.

[0090] In the vehicle lamp 101B shown in FIG. 11(B), the road surface drawing unit is mainly composed of a light source 130 and three drawing lenses 119. The drawing lens 119 has a circular outer shape, and forms the incident light into a simple circular drawing pattern and emits it. The light L31, light L32, and light L33 emitted from the three drawing lenses 119 are each formed as a circular drawing pattern. Therefore, three consecutive circular drawing patterns are projected onto the road surface. In this way, the lens itself can be shaped as a drawing pattern, or multiple lenses can be used to form one drawing pattern.

[0091] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the above embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and these can be combined based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such forms are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1, 101: Vehicle lighting fixtures 10, 110: Lens 20: Step reflector 30, 130: Light source 150: Lamp cover L1, L2, L3, L4: Light LD1, LD2: Light distribution M1, M2: Drawing patterns

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp that has a road marking function in addition to a headlight or marker light function, The vehicle is configured to include an optical unit that functions as a headlight or a marker light and a road surface drawing unit that functions to project a drawing pattern onto a road surface, the optical unit using a common light source; the light source acts on both the optical unit and the road marking unit; The optical unit and the road surface drawing unit perform illumination related to an illumination purpose, The road surface drawing unit includes a lens that forms incident light into a predetermined drawing pattern and outputs the light. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function, characterized in that

2. The optical unit forms a part of the light emitted from the light source into a predetermined light distribution and irradiates the light, The road surface drawing unit forms another part of the emitted light of the light source into a drawing pattern related to the irradiation purpose of the optical unit and projects the drawing pattern onto the road surface.

2. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1.

3. The light source commonly used by the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements, The arrangement of the plurality of light-emitting elements is determined based on the shape of the drawing pattern projected by the road surface drawing unit.

3. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The relative position of the optical unit with respect to the road surface drawing unit is determined according to the height and angle at which the light source is disposed.

4. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1.

5. The light emitted from the light source is incident on both an optical member that forms a predetermined light distribution and is included in the optical unit, and the lens of the road surface drawing unit.

5. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1.

6. The light source is a light source that acts on both the function as the headlight or the marker light and the road surface drawing function and is shared by both functions.

6. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1.

7. The light source is a single light source shared by the optical unit and the road surface drawing unit.

7. A vehicle lamp having a road surface drawing function according to claim 1.

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